No Conference Budget? No Problem!

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While on my way to a conference last weekend, I began reading 52 Cups of Coffee. The book begins with this quote:

“You will be the same person in five years as you are today except for the people you meet and the books you read.” – Charlie “Tremendous” Jones

It blew my mind a bit. Simple idea. Makes perfect sense when you take the time to think about it, but I suppose we rarely do. It was a very inspirational read. Isn’t inspiration something most of us spend our timing seeking out in general? The wonderful thing about our world today is that even if you’re unable to make it to a conference or a training, you’ve got the ability to still get the goods.

Here’s how you can reap the benefits of conferences & events if you’re unable to make the trip:

All About Social

Social media. I’m assuming you’ve heard of it? The conferences being talked about the most on social are probably those sharing the most beneficial content for you. Follow people in your industry and beyond, especially during conference season. Keep track of what they are most enthused about and seek it out. Most often, the content will end up online and they’ve already prescreened for you. (Thoughtful!)

Read Read Read

Books, blogs, you name it. The concepts and ideas being shared at events exist elsewhere. Do your research on presenters at certain conferences and their bodies of work and then get your hands on what seems most appealing or impactful to your world. Just because you’re not there doesn’t mean you can’t hear the insights and reap the benefits of that enlightenment.

Watch It

Let’s see. We’ve got TED talks, YouTube and a plethora of other ways to see and hear from the elite who’ll be on conference stages. Perhaps the same authors or speakers offer webinars providing similar content? They could also be making the rounds to different cities if they’ve got book tours going on. Keep your eyes and ears open and you’ll inevitably find a way to experience it.

Find Your Tribe

Doing everything online or on your own could have you feeling left out of the mix. Fear not! You can find ways around it. Create a Meetup in your area to talk turkey. Host some TED talk viewings and conversations. Book clubs exist for a reason. Find people who dig the same type of content and nerd out over a glass of wine or a cup of coffee.

We can’t always make it to every event, conference or training that we find appealing. When you stop to think about it, we’re able to evolve without being in attendance and we don’t have to do it alone! Evolution is at our fingertips if we’re putting in the effort to do so. Not to mention, when we’re excited and passionate about something, it tends to be contagious. Pass that excitement on and who knows, the impact it has might warrant a larger conference budget for next year.

As Vice President, Talent & Operations at Allen & Gerritsen, Kelly is responsible for leading the company's talent acquisition while simultaneously developing innovative culture programs agency-wide. Kelly has held several Human Resources roles throughout her career in a variety of industries including Behavioral Health, Tourism, and Advertising. Kelly possesses a degree in Psychology which has been a great help in figuring out why employees are occasionally a little bit….eccentric. Connect with Kelly.